


Painted With Dawn

by demonladys



Series: Bandori Rarepair Week 2020 [7]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Bandori Rarepair Week, Comfort, Developing Relationship, F/F, Trans Female Character, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonladys/pseuds/demonladys
Summary: Ran’s got some growing, undetermined feelings for Morfonica’s vocalist. Unfortunately for both of them, the rest of Afterglow is quick to catch on.
Relationships: Aoba Moca/Shirasagi Chisato, Hazawa Tsugumi/Hikawa Hina, Kurata Mashiro/Mitake Ran, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Udagawa Tomoe/Uehara Himari
Series: Bandori Rarepair Week 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768666
Comments: 17
Kudos: 54
Collections: Bandori Rarepair Week (2019-present)





	Painted With Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> day 7 prompt - free day

The Afterglow girls gather around their usual hangout spot inside Hazawa Coffee: a family-size table for six near the windows, with a view of the streets giving easy access to the world beyond. Ran’s leaning back in her seat mostly staying quiet unless addressed, sneaking occasional glances at her phone beneath the table while nobody's watching. Meanwhile, Himari chatters on about a shounen manga she read recently, insisting that the protagonist was just like Tomoe except not as hot. Tomoe’s getting all flustered while Moca teases the pair for being so overly-affectionate, prompting both of them to deny the existence of a relationship that everyone already figured out about except for possibly themselves. Or perhaps the recent storms of them shouting “babe!” at each other between every other sentence meant that had already been resolved.

Tsugumi is her usual cheerful, Tsugurific-self, helping brighten the atmosphere with her presence alone. Though throughout her own covert texting, Ran can’t help notice Tsugumi doing the same and when she checks back above the table, Tsugu’s got that lovey-dovey glimmer in her eyes. Probably one of the Hikawas, she figures. Hard to tell which one she’s with since they look so damn similar and she’s always hanging around one or the other whenever she’s not with the band or working. Hell, sometimes even work doesn’t stop her.

She used to scoff over all the romantic nonsense all her friends got involved in. She’s always supported their endeavors of course, though that never stopped Moca from making jokes about Ran being ‘the homophobic lesbian.’ But she never really understood why anyone bothered dedicating themselves to romance over other passions. Even now, she’s not so certain she gets it, but… as she glances back to her screen and butterflies dance inside her stomach, maybe she gets it a little bit.

 **> ran… um…** **  
****> touko helped me take this. i hope you like it!**

Beneath Mashiro’s messages is a selfie, with Touko’s golden hair caught in the photo’s corner. Mashiro wears her lips an awkward squigly shape, something like a smile but reserved, resistant. Her silverish bangs are growing out to the point of nearly covering her vision. The aquamarine eyes hiding beneath, though… They’re really pretty. They’re like a river, or maybe something more gentle. A stream or a creek. But Ran detects the meekness in them. It’s not too surprising that Mashiro is scared to show her face, considering how nervous she gets being the center of attention. There’s something familiar about the way she clams up and goes all non-verbal when strangers address her. The way she’ll sing her heart out on the stage but try to conceal herself elsewhere.

Mashiro Kurata is sweet and adorable. She kind of reminds her of Tsugu in a way. Always so dedicated and ardent, despite the lack of self-worth at her core. But there’s a part of her she knows better than anyone else, too. A part of her that’s just like Ran.

Ran allows a soft smile to slip across her lips and feels a tug on the strings of her heart. Is this pride? To watch someone like her overcome even a small obstacle like sending a selfie, it’s hard to not feel some sort of vicarious satisfaction. 

Ran’s busy schedule between school, band, and ikebana has no room for romance in it. But apparently, that won’t stop these feelings from boiling up inside anyway.

Moca is quick to notice the change in Ran’s expression. Her head makes a sharp turn back in Ran’s direction and her eyebrows fall inward, supplementing a devious smile that forms across her lips. “Oho~? Ran smiling at her phone... Could it be…?”

 _Shit._ Ran pulls her phone back and shoves the screen against her stomach. Moca’s got that mischievous glint in her eyes, leaning in close for a peek. “What,” Ran says in the flattest tone possible, quickly switching back to a neutral scowl.

“Raaan,” Moca pokes her in the arm. She’s like a fly buzzing around in Ran’s ears. “You can’t hide from Miss Moca.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me~ You were staring at your phone the same way Tsugu does when she’s texting Hina.”

Suddenly the other three are glancing her way and the whole situation just is awkward as hell. How annoying... she was really trying her best not to let them get suspicious. Himari especially is the sort to get all up in Ran’s business if she ever started dating someone or even got the slightest crush -- she’s never gonna let Ran live down that time she absentmindedly said something about Yukina being attractive, no matter how hard Ran tries to cleanse it from her memory. So, the Mashiro matter is far too sensitive to have her prodding around at.

“Yo, Ran finally got a girl?” Tomoe asks.

Ran scoffs. “No. I just saw a funny meme.”

“Liar~ You’ve never laughed at a meme in your life,” says Moca.

Now Himari’s got her hands on the table, bending herself diagonally over the counter and staring Ran down with prodding eyes. “Ran, if you’re seeing someone then you gotta tell us! It’s our code, remember?! Afterglow Code!”

“H-hey! We never said anything about a code!” Tsugumi tries to interject. Solidarity, Ran sighs. Thank god. Tsugu had been with Hina (thanks for the reminder, Moca) for at least a month before anyone else found out. Only told them about it because Himari wouldn’t get off her case about how she’d been spending more than a regular amount of time with the student council president. Poor Tsugu.

Meanwhile, Moca is clawing at Ran’s stomach, trying to pry the phone from her hands but Ran holds it tight, kicking at the floor to scootch her seat back. Unfortunately for her, Tomoe’s already leaped over the table like a fucking horse to trap her into a pincer.

“I’m not dating anybody! I’m still single, like I always have been!” She tries to protest, but it does nothing to deter her dear friends. Tomoe snatches her phone away with ease -- god damn jock -- and flicks the screen back on.

“Haven’t I seen this girl before somewhere?” She holds Ran’s phone up high and turns it toward the others. Ran is trying so hard to grab it back, but she can’t jump nearly high enough to match Tomoe’s arm-raising distance. “She’s pretty cute.”

“Oh!” Himari pulls out her phone and within mere seconds, she’s flipped her it at the group with an enlarged photograph of what is definitely the school gate at Tsukinomori Girls’ Academy. Most of the picture is consumed by Touko’s glamorous winking pose, but there’s a pair of small blurry figures in the background. One’s got an unmistakable red-streak and wears a Haneoka uniform, while the other is in the fancy navy blue Tsukinomori sailor uniform with half-brushed silver hair. Busted. “Touko posted this a few days ago! So you WERE at Tsukinomori!”

Shit, shit, shit. Candid photographic evidence isn’t something she can think fast enough to dispute. “...Fine. Yes, I was there. Mashiro needed some help with songwriting, so she asked me to swing by and give her advice.”

Moca slants her arm against the table and rests her cheek against the palm of her hand, smirking. “Isn’t Kurata a first-year? Cougar~”

Ran leers in response. “You’re one to talk.”

“Darling Miss Moca just can’t help loving older girls. That’s why she’s got a hot actress girlfriend.” The fact that Chisato Shirasagi would even give Moca the time of day is still shocking to Ran. Probably doesn’t help that Moca will rub this in as much as she can on any day it comes up. Which is every day, because Moca Aoba has a hot actress girlfriend and needs everyone to know.

Before Ran can come up with a quip, Tomoe drops the phone back into her lap and hovers over her. “Haha, it’s cool dude. Grats!”

“I’m not dating her?”

“She’s sending you selfies and you’re smiling at them like a dork.”

“Well…”

It’s undeniable that there’s… something between the two of them when Tomoe puts it like that. But what exactly ‘something’ is, not even Ran herself knows. Subtle exchanges of tiny grins and little moments where Mashiro will hide behind Ran when she’s scared always throw her heartbeat all out of loop. The way Mashiro turns crimson when their eyes meet by accident and linger there for too long. Those feelings don’t have a name, at least not yet. It’s a work in progress, a song meant for singing without proper lyrics. “Yeah, I’ve been hanging out with her lately. But we’re not dating, I swear.”

Himari pouts and starts flapping her arms like a frantic bird. “Ran! If you’re not dating, then you gotta tell her how you feel!” Considering it’s Himari, this is probably one of the most hypocritical lectures Ran’s ever sat through.

Ran starts to get the sense that she’s backed into a corner and there’s no way out of this. How exactly _does_ she feel about Mashiro? She’s cute. Feels like they can relate to each other, kind of? And there’s something calming about her presence. It’s nice to have some peace and quiet when she’s so used to her noisy friends, but it’s also refreshing to see those rare glimpses of confidence when Mashiro shouts on the stage. A crush? Is this what that’s supposed to feel like? Maybe, maybe not. But now there’s an audience to please, so she guesses it’s best to sort that out sooner than later.

“Okay, fine, I’ll say something. But this is none of your guys’ business, alright?” she says begrudgingly, pulling her phone up from her lap and tapping against the touch keyboard. She takes a deep breath in before pushing submit, and nerves get caught on the way through her windpipes. She tries to reason to herself that hey, at least this is a good excuse to hang out with her either way. And if she’s looking for an excuse to hang out, maybe that means something too. But her troublesome friends aren’t going to make it a pleasant, casual afternoon date.

 **> mashiro, you look nice today. ** **  
****> do you wanna hang out in like an hour?**

* * *

They’d bumped into each other a couple times at the live house, plus that one time during sakura season, though Ran never talked to her much. Mashiro always struck her as the quiet type; the sort of girl who had trouble interacting with others or initiating conversations, so she typically left her be. Until about a month ago, at least.

Ran had arrived in Circle’s lobby a few minutes early for practice and wanted to use the time to chill, listen to some tunes on her phone for inspiration. She sank back into a lounge seat and let the shredding sounds of guitar ring through her earbuds. The lobby was pretty empty. No Roselia to pick a fight with or Marina or anyone for that matter. Nothing but the posters lining the windows -- one taped up was for a newer band, with fancy English lettering and a butterfly in the logo.

Soon she noticed the vocalist of said band -- a shorter girl with soft pearl hair -- pacing around in front of the empty counter usually manned by Marina. It was clear she was lost, and anxious about the fact that she was lost and too scared to say anything and-

Man, Ran couldn’t help feel sorry for her. It was like looking at a softer, less prickly version of her younger self. She rose from her seat and approached the counter, joining Mashiro’s side. “Hey. Mashiro Kurata, right?” she asked calmly.

“E-eh?!” Mashiro winced and let out a hushed shriek.

“Ah, uh… Sorry for startling you. Did you need help with something?”

Mashiro was frozen in place, aside from her eyes which were spinning all over searching aimlessly around the room. Those eyes were a deep blue, shrinking back like a receding tide. “U-uhm, yes.” She was soft-spoken and polite. Despite the relatively marginal gap in their height, it seemed as if Mashiro made herself smaller whenever she spoke. “My bandmates asked me to book the studio, but I don’t know how it works.”

“Oh, that’s all? You just need to talk to Marina or one of the other employees. Here,” Ran pointed to a silver bell on the counter’s center and pressed her hand onto the little ball up top. It emits a sturdy chime, causing Mashiro to flinch. “Just use that and someone should show up.”

“Oh… okay.”

It took just a second for Marina to pop out through the back lounge door and return to her place at the counter. She looked cheerful as usual, and tired as usual based on the dark circles beneath her eyes. “Hey Ran! Here for practice?”

“Yeah, I’m just waiting on the others.“ Ran cleared her throat and stepped to the side, closing the distance between herself and the silent girl next to her. “Mashiro wanted to reserve a studio slot, too.”

Mashiro’s face turned pale and any trace of courage faded. Marina pulled out the reservation book and slammed it onto the counter. Not out of malice or anything, but because it’s a huge fucking book. “Great! Let’s see… Did you need it today? How about this time?”

“Oh, yes… Five of us, please,” Mashiro said. Color returned to her cheeks and her expression started to grow more relaxed, slightly more composed.

“Ran!” Tomoe called out from the doorway. The rest of Afterglow soon funneled into the lobby. She joined with the group and they started on toward the studio, but before Mashiro left her field of vision, Ran glanced back at her and noticed that despite her nerves, the quiet, mild-mannered girl appeared a little more confident in the midst of negotiation.

On her way out the door later, Ran bumped into her again -- or maybe she was waiting there the whole time? It took her a couple seconds to spit it out and the rest of Afterglow watched it unfold from a little ways ahead. But with a subdued shout and a sincere bow, she said, “Ran… Thank you!” before scurrying off elsewhere.

* * *

In the month since their chance encounter, they've spent a surprising amount of time together. Ran would check up on her every so often, swing by the school and give her vocalist-to-vocalist advice like what sort of exercises she prefers to warm up with and what the songwriting process looks like for her. But there were those occasional afternoons where she’d sneak away and invite Mashiro for a bite to eat or to relax in the shade at the park beneath a canopy of tree branches. Since when the hell is Ran the sort of girl to show up in front of someone else's school just to say hey? As much as she wanted to fight it, Tomoe was right on the mark.

It’s late-afternoon and the sun is still high. Ran’s relocated toward the coffee shop’s central tables and tried her best to brush her hair down in a way that’s half-presentable for a girl she is about to ask out and possibly get rejected by. The lighting is a bit dimmer than before, which was probably Himari’s idea for simulating some kind of fancy restaurant but Ran doesn’t buy that it’ll actually have any effect. Tsugu is on shift and ready to help out with whatever needed, and thankfully she’s not nosy enough to bother Mashiro for no reason. Unlike _those three…_

Ran sideyes at them and scowls. They’re not doing a great job at hiding at the table beyond the decorative flora and pretending to not spy on her. Himari is even doing that fake whistling thing like some sort of suspicious cartoon character. How annoying. What part of ‘none of your business’ do they not understand?

Bells chime out against the front door and echo through the coffee shop’s walls and all around. Mashiro enters inside, looking like a terrified puppy searching desperately for someone familiar. Wearing an indigo-striped dress over a long-sleeve blouse with a ribbon at the collar, she looks almost formal in her casual attire. Ran stands up and waves to her, “Mashiro! Over here!” 

The younger girl stumbles her way to Ran’s table and takes a seat, remaining silent. She lets loose a comforted sigh accompanied by a sheepish smile and tries to look Ran in the eyes. Their gazes don’t quite lock into place, but it’s the thought that counts.

“How are you doing?” Ran asks.

“Um, pretty okay. We practiced a ton today and I feel like… maybe I’m getting better at singing!” She fidgets in her seat and squirms and stirs. Though she’s putting on a positive face, it’s clear she’s trying to fight off anxiety with every single word. “A-ah, but what about you?”

“I’m fine.” The muscles in Ran’s wrists and throat tense up and she can feel a bunch of different things flowing through each pulse of her heart. There’s three pairs of eyes gazing at her from afar and she can feel it seering at her skin. It’s too much to sort out, between endearment and empathy and the rough familiarity that twists at her gut. She knows she’s gotta say it sooner or later, but just looking at Mashiro’s face unlocks some protective instinct. God, now there’s the guilt about putting pressure on her.

Tsugu stops by and drops two menus off with a cheery smile. It brings a temporary relief to Ran’s unsteady stomach -- a nice save on her part. Ran quickly buries her face into the menu before Mashiro notices that she’s blushing. Which ends up being unnecessary since Mashiro’s already hiding behind her own menu.

“S-so… What do you recommend? I want something easy on my throat if they have anything like that...” Mashiro lowers the menu, gestures her hand over her throat and keeps her mouth wide open like she’s trying to sing without sound.

“Yeah, they’ve got some teas that are good for vocal stuff. I like their ginger tea with honey myself.”

“I’ll try that then!” Mashiro’s cerulean eyes sparkle with delight even while she’s still shaking in her seat.

“Then one for me, too.”

Tsugu makes a return trip around the shop to take their orders and collect the menus, leaving them once again face-to-face with nothing between them. 

They chat about band stuff for a little while; Morfonica’s been on the upswing with their recent performances and Mashiro’s starting to adapt to stage fright. It’s still a huge issue, but slowly she’s been easing into it. The trick, she remembers Ran told her, is to get lost in her bandmates’ sound and forget the audience is even watching. To know she’s putting that into practice fills Ran with another sort of vicarious pride. Ran gives a soft, assuring chuckle. It’s so nice to see how excited Mashiro gets about music and being in a band, to listen to her gush the way Ran was always too reticent to admit herself. Mashiro may not have a lot of confidence, but she’s got passion for sure.

Unfortunately, the pleasant conversation is cut short by a hiss from Tomoe all the way across the shop. “Ran! Say the thing!” She tries to sound hushed, but whispering doesn’t mean anything when it’s as loud as a shout.

Ran turns to the troublemaker trio and glowers, all the muscles in her face tensing up. And- shit, Mashiro noticed. She’s backing up in her seat and suddenly getting smaller and smaller like she’s hiding inside her shell. Just a minute ago she was calm and open, but now she’s in full-timid mode. Dammit! They’re really gonna ruin this for her, aren’t they? Ran sighs, and lets the muscles loosen, shutting her eyes for a minute to gather her thoughts.

When she opens them once more, she looks directly at her fellow vocalist’s adorable yet horrified face, still as avoidant as it was the previous moment. “Hey, Mashiro?” she asks as calm as she can, like she’s speaking to a frightened puppy.

Mashiro jumps. “Uhm, sorry...! Did... I do something wrong?”

“Not at all. I was just gonna say, you don’t need to be so tense around me. We’re friends after all.”

“F-friends?” She twiddles her thumbs together, crimson overtakes her face. 

Oh god, this is a bad idea. This is such a terrible idea. Even so, Ran pushes on because the worst best friends ever are watching like this is a romance movie and Tsugu put in all the effort to make the place look nice. So, might as well just spit it all out. She has to force the words from her throat with all her strength and even that isn’t enough to give her any confidence in the words themselves.

“Y-yeah. I mean, I was thinking. I like spending time with you, you know?” 

Mashiro starts to flail her arms in rejection, but Ran doesn’t give her time to push her off. 

“Do you wanna maybe go out with me, or something?” 

Time slows as soon as the last syllable leaves her. It feels like her heart is going to explode at a moment’s notice and all she can do is wait for it to happen.

She holds her breath, glances to the side and sees the trio watching with cautious anticipation. Tomoe grimaces, her eyes narrow, as if to say ‘you could have done way better.’ And yeah she sure fucking could have. But the pressure’s getting to her head and fuck off Tomoe this is at least one-third your fault if not more for nabbing her phone earlier.

Mashiro has a cold, blank stare across her eyes and Ran’s not sure if she’s even conscious anymore. Maybe she somehow managed to faint while sitting upright. Tsugumi stops at the table again and carefully places two steaming hot ceramic mugs of tea down. The warmth breathes faint life back into Mashiro, though she’s even more overwhelmed than ever before. “U-um… Was that a joke…?”

Ran’s eyes widen and she can’t help but let her demeanor slip into something resembling annoyance. Frustration. _How dare you?_ “No. Not at all.”

Mashiro keeps fidgeting around and turning her head in every direction. Even the troublesome trio is quick to hide beneath their table where she won’t be able to see them. “I’m not pretty or cute or anything, though… There’s nothing interesting about me… And you’re so cool…? Why would you…?”

Ran stands abruptly, pushing her seat back and sliding it over the wooden floor until it bumps into the table behind her. She slams her hands onto the tabletop causing it to tremble, nearly splashing scalding tea out from both of their mugs “Mashiro, give yourself more credit.” She can feel blood rush to her face and her heart set aflame as she spits out her honest feelings without restraint. “I like you, okay? Being around you makes me feel things. N-nice things. Trust me, don’t overthink it.”

All the color in Mashiro’s face, all the strength in her eyes return in an instant and she’s red from forehead to neck, ears to nose. Hell, even the silver in her hair is a little bit scarlet. The only sounds from her mouth are confused, questioning eeps and wahs and huhs and the like. She’s honestly beyond adorable which is barely helping Ran’s heart, now beating at the most absurd tempo she’s ever felt.

Suddenly Ran feels the tension in her body deflate and falls back into her chair. She reaches her hand out to pick up her teacup and lifts it, steam rising around her face, fogging the view between them. “You don’t have to answer now or anything.”

In a panic, Mashiro mimics Ran and accidentally loses some tea over the cup’s edge, spilling a small portion onto the table. She lifts it to her tongue and sips, then flinches and sets the mug down as fast as she can, burning droplets falling from her tongue. “Ow, ow, ow!”

It takes a minute or two for her to recover from looking like she’s in immense pain, but there’s another sudden burst as she gives herself a pumping motion with her arms and starts speaking at maximum volume, which is still relatively quiet all things considered. “A-ah! Um… I think it would be nice… To go out with you, that is... Ran...”

Ran’s heart is practically bursting at its seams.

“So, yes… I would like to…” Mashiro’s eyes are shut tight for a second with complete embarrassment over everything else, but she soon opens them once more and expels the tension from her face, sinking back into her seat.

Ran lets loose a sigh of relief and wears a subtle grin across her lips. Mashiro smiles back, until they’re both interrupted by the peanut gallery giving an unnecessarily roaring applause in their direction. Mashiro starts to shrink in her seat again and Ran has just had enough of this shit now. She rises again and stomps at Moca, Himari, and Tomoe, who are still sitting just beyond a pot of flowers on display. She furrows her eyebrows and scoffs.

“Guys, fuck off. You’re bothering my girlfriend.”

* * *

Golden twilight skies shimmer across Mashiro’s cheeks, illuminating silver and shadow beneath. She’s so pretty in the dusk, though her light is more like the glistening dawn. They’re halfway down the street from Hazawa Coffee now, and thankfully they’d lost the troublemaking trio somewhere along the way. _“Thanks Tsugu. I owe you one,”_ Ran thinks to herself as she recalls the coffee shop’s heiress blocking the doors when Moca and company gave pursuit. Finally, some time alone with her new girlfriend is everything she wants right now. Even if it’s just for the short walk to Mashiro’s house, each second is a treasure.

“Uh, sorry about the others. They can be a bit much sometimes,” Ran says.

“Afterglow is so scary…” Mashiro whimpers.

Ran’s footsteps come to a halt and she turns to face Mashiro. “Do you think I’m scary?”

Mashiro looks like she’s about to shrink back, but this time she stands her ground and wears resolve across her eyes. “Maybe a little… But you’re super nice!”

Ran gives a gentle chortle and beams softly in the sunset. Mashiro’s earnest eyes are something nobody can help but admire, she imagines. Especially not Ran. Ran’s really lucky to have met her. Beneath that outward appearance of a meek girl filled with self-resentment is someone who truly is brave, someone with passion that might exceed even Ran’s own.

“How does this work…? Being girlfriends?”

“I dunno. Do you wanna hold hands?” Ran extends the palm of her right hand, releasing her fingers in an inviting gesture and offers it out to Mashiro. Mashiro backs off just a hair, then cautiously allows her own hand to approach.

“A-are you sure?”

Ran nods, her face lightens and the ends of her lips rise by a margin. Mashiro reaches out, still unsteady, but pushing on through the nerves. Their palms meet and turn and twist against each other until they reach a comfortable position. Mashiro’s hands are much smaller than Ran’s. They’re smooth, light to touch. Ran’s hands aren’t gentle like Mashiro’s, but joined together they actually feel kind of nice. Their fingers entwine between each other and it’s a bit of an awkward fit. Yet there’s something so calming about it. “Your hands are so soft…” Ran whispers aloud.

Beneath the dusk, Mashiro’s lips form a shy smile and her eyes glimmer with joy. She’s so nervous -- and Ran has to admit she’s a little nervous herself -- but bright and happy, too. The calm flowing through Ran’s heart as she stares into Mashiro’s eyes has no name. Some might call it love. Maybe that’s what it is. She’s got time to figure it out -- things are changing inside her, and there’s no way she can stop it. Perhaps she doesn’t even want to. For now, she sighs with pride. Let’s just enjoy whatever this is.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading my rarepair week stuff to whatever extent you read! i'll say this has been a very interesting challenge. i started a little bit ahead of time but still was a pretty continuous process, and it was fun to play around with pairs i don't normally write. honestly i've taken a liking to a lot of them and might write more!
> 
> huge thanks to the bandori fic writer's guild for all the encouragement while i worked through these fics! couldnt have gone as hard as i did without that keeping me motivated, and i'm super proud of everyone else who has participated in this week too.


End file.
